You'll laugh a lot (and often wince) when you read this book. There's hardly a dull quotation!

It's not necessary that the reader know a lot about 9th century France, shamanism or pagan myth, but it doesn't hurt.

The story begins in New Orleans, Louisiana, and travels across the United States to San Francisco, California. Rowan Mayfair is a beautiful and successful doctor with great powers she cannot explain. One evening while sailing her boat she comes across a man floating in the sea. She pulls the drowned man from the sea and brings him back to life.

In his brief death experience, Michael Curry develops a power of his own. He can see into people with the simplest touch. Frightened and mystified by this new power, Michael turns to alcohol, covers his hands with thick gloves and closes himself off from the world. Only one woman can pull him from the prison he's made for himself...Rowan Mayfair.

Drawn together by some unexplainable force, Rowan and Michael fall deeply in love and set out to discover the truth of Rowan's past and Michael's unwanted powers. Their quest leads them back to New Orleans where they discover Rowan is the last part of a four-century-long story of the Mayfair witches. Something dark awaits Rowan in New Orleans. Something that has destroyed the women of the Mayfair family for four centuries and now it wants Rowan.

From the opening sentence, Anne Rice draws you in with the first tale of the Mayfair witches. Set in modern times, the quest for history in which Rowan and Michael embark takes the reader back to 17th century France and many years in between. Rowan Mayfair is a remarkable character of strength, beauty and courage. Michael Curry is equally remarkable in his own manly ways. You will root for the characters in their quest for the truth and their battle against evil will keep you on the edge of your seat.

While I felt there were a few minor parts missing to the storyline of THE WITCHING HOUR, I found it to be a thrilling and suspenseful tale.

Rice's style is as florid and lucid as ever, and the story never has a dull moment. The reader doesn't have to struggle with following three or four storylines, as was the case in "Queen of the Damned." No, in this book, Rice returns to that simple but oh-so charming and vivid style of "The Vampire Lestat," except the setting doesn't contain that hint of the otherworldly.

I only gave it four stars because of the whole body thief struggle. It was necessary for Lestat to have this experience, and I cannot see a better way for it to have happened, but the climax is no surprise. What happens is what is expected. But, the reader is rewarded with an unexpected cliffhanger final chapter that jumps up and knocks one in the jaw. I did not see this moment coming, and it makes me hurry to start reading "Memnoch the Devil."

So, if you like Lestat and you like Anne Rice, pick this book up. It's very clever and simple, but surprises await you.

The book is erotic, but in subtle ways. You won't find any vivid sex scenes, but better yet, you will feel desires and anquish of the characters.

I've finished this short novella only recently and I thought it to be a fairly interesting read. It has the same theme as "The Vampire Lestat"-an immortal telling their dark, life story. Pandora wasn't very appealing to me; I didn't like her kind of aggresiveness and she seemed to be snappy in character. I did however take a liking to Flavius. He was captivating from the very start when Pandora begins to give his description after seeing him in the slave market, and latter details that makes him all the more a likeable character. It was a shame though, that he was always referred to terms such as 'loyal servant' by Pandora. I think it took away from his unique character.

Another thing-the book concentrated so little on Pandora's and Marius's relationship. I'm rather glad it did. I found Marius to be the most arrogant, cynical, obnoxious character of all Anne's immortal creations. Not only that-he bored me. He was not the least bit interesting. ! But truly and overall this book is ok. It's definitely a vast improvement from Anne's failure "Memnoch the Devil", which in my opinion should have been a stand-alone novel, no, a non-existing novel.

This novel like so many of Anne's books, tends to be long-winded. And I mean very long-winded. So it didn't command my attention very well. I did love her descriptions though and her word usage of the several locations Pandora ventured to.

Onto the ending. I loved it! It gave a hint that a presumedly past awayed immortal may not be dust and ashes afterall, which would be Armand in this case. Can't wait until Armand comes out! I love that boy :o

Angel C.

I thought I would hate this book, so when it came out, I skipped it. I had read the five previous vampire novels, but I skipped this one because I didn't think I would like Pandora and it was a "new tale" so I skipped it. I read The Vampire Armand (which I loved simply for being so much richer, not the short tale told here) but it wasn't until recently that I picked up the book and gave it a chance. I'm glad I did. It is beautifully written and a new take on the vampire experience, the human experience. It's a good look at the ancient world as well, although I think many readers give Rice too much credit for all his "historic research" because there are still lapses in here, but overall it's quite an intersesting look at life in ancient Rome and those times.

I would recommend this book to anyone but sexual puritans, people who are bored by history, or those people who can't handle philosophy. I also think Christians would be offended by this book.

In this novel, Mrs. Rice combines the Vampire Cronicles, the Mayfair Witches, and the Talamasca. Our young hero is tall, dark and (of course) handsome. He is also true of heart and pure. All his life he has been able to see spirits and ghost, yet has had a loving and supportive family (with the exception being his mother) to turn to and help him through his struggles. He also finds the love of his life (enter Mayfair Witches)whom he looks forward to marrying. Unfortunately, he was taken against his will to be made into a blood drinker. He seeks the help of Lestat to tell his life story to, and to help in ridding him of a most fearsome spirit that has plagued him for all his life. Mrs. Rice also throws in a surprise ending (or two)for good measure.

Over all, I found this to be a very satisfying read and hope that the next novel will pick up where this one left off.

However, even if Rice's sense of preceptive of Armand has changed here, her ingenious pace of storytelling has not deserted her yet. Just as I have read many of the reviews, the reason why most of the reviewers read her books is simply because of her reputation to write the most vivid stories. Her use of imagery has not failed her yet and she has produced another Anne Rice signature novel (which did not quite make the standards in Memnoch and Violin)

Au contaire to give the woman credit, she does display some new ideas in the book which did not quite meet up with the taste of everyone. But afterall she is Anne Rice and even if her preceptive of the Vampiric World changes, one thing does not and that will always be her sense of asthetics which are so severely displayed in the book and I thought she had lost when she wrote Memnoch.

In the end, I'll still have to admit that I am a true Anne Rice fan even if she has sorely disappointed in the Vampire Armand.Just don't attempt a book about David in this current frame of mind, it is just not worth it and David is first and foremost a Man of the scientific age.